


Troubled Water

by enbyboiwonder



Series: King + Lionheart [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidfic, King and Lionheart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 04:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17297978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyboiwonder/pseuds/enbyboiwonder
Summary: Jack is already dreading the talking-to he'll be getting from the king when Mac winds up ill in a couple days, but he'll do anything for this kid.





	Troubled Water

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from [Brother by Kodaline](https://youtu.be/1T4LiOIGV_4), which I listened to repeatedly while writing this.
> 
> I started a macdalton king and lionheart au and then background happened in the form of this and a few other fics which I will hopefully be able to finish.  Jack is 16 here and Mac is 8.  It's a little over three years since his mother, who was a powerful mage (Mac inherits her powers, but they don't manifest until he's in his mid-20s), succumbed to an illness the summer after he turned 5, and two years until James disappears on the 5th anniversary of her death.  I haven't figured out all the details yet, but maybe I'll write the story/stories that expand on that one day.

Jack hears a scrabbling at the lock of his door and groggily sits up, pulling his blankets tighter around himself and shivering.  He decides he doesn't want to know right now how the kid even got hold of lock picks.  "Mac," he says when the lock finally clicks over.

The door flings open suddenly, the only reason it doesn't go banging into the wall the tight grip that the young prince has on the handle, and Mac says hurriedly, "I know you said not to bother you, but I won't get sick, I promise!"  Despite the confidence in his words, he's got his shoulders hunched, making him look tinier than usual, and he's got his other hand clenched tightly around the picks; he looks miserable.

Jack sighs and flops back against his pillows.  "I'll hold you to that," he says, though he has no intention of doing any such thing; he's already dreading the talking-to he'll be getting from the king when Mac winds up ill in a couple days, but he'll do anything for this kid.  He pats the bed next to him.  "C'mere, what's wrong."

Shoving the picks in his pocket, Mac abandons his hesitancy and bounds over, leaving the door to swing shut on its own behind him, and launches himself up half onto the bed and half onto Jack; Jack lets out an  _oof_ as he gets all of the air momentarily knocked out of him and almost dissolves into a coughing fit.  The prince burrows against his chest, and Jack enfolds him in the blankets too and holds him close.

"Dad's being scary again."

Jack immediately tenses and has to force himself to relax, to calm himself down before he does something rash.  Mac's already upset enough without him adding to it.  But he finds it difficult sometimes not to hate the king, and he wishes not for the first time that his family could adopt Mac, then the kid wouldn't have to deal with his father when he gets like this.  He wants nothing more than to go tell him off himself, make him see sense, see that this is no way to behave with his son, but he can't do that without risking losing Mac.  James lost his wife, yes, but he's not the only one who lost her—he's not the only one grieving.  And he's only hurting his son even more like this.  Mac already lost his mother, he doesn't need to lose his father too, which is exactly what's going to happen at this rate.  Maybe, as the king's lionheart, Jack's father can talk to him, and maybe it would even do some good.

Mac starts squirming in his arms, and he realizes he's probably holding the kid too tight and opens his arms, but Mac just shifts up to tuck his head under Jack's chin, then tugs Jack's arm back down around him.  He curls his arm protectively around the prince's back, stroking his hand soothingly over soft flaxen hair the way he remembers his own mother used to do when he was younger.

"I wish mommy would come back," Mac says in a small voice.

"Me too, buddy," he says, shifting to press a kiss to his hair.  "Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://enbyboiwonder.tumblr.com/post/181724759841/) | [pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/posts/399000)


End file.
